501 Places

As I sit in my garden in sunny St Albans, with the temperature soaring past 30C, the thought of going to Mallorca is not particularly enticing. Although as I look for some shade and a place to cool off, maybe it does deserve a closer look. After all, the only time we have been there, [...]

It’s hard to beat the multi-coloured beauty of an African sunset. The sky seems bigger, the hue of the reds and oranges more expressive, the clouds more dreamy. And the sounds of the plains around us while watching the sun dip below the horizon leave you in no doubt where you are. We stayed in [...]

I can’t remember if it took us three days or four (it was a while ago now). I do know that for each of the days, we were treated to views that took our breath away and more than compensated for the aching limbs we were accumulating along with our miles. Stretching across the Southern [...]

I am sitting at home in St Albans tonight watching the lightning and hearing the crashes of thunder that have been dominating the summer evening here for the last three hours. I love thunder and lightning, and am mesmerised by the sight of an electrical storm. My mind went back to the best storm we [...]

Walk down the main pedestrian streets in BA, and you won’t go far before you see a tango troupe. Usually a couple of guys and a girl, and they carry an old stereo. Without warning, the music starts, and a couple take to the floor. You will see countless such displays in downtown Buenos Aires, [...]

First off… I made a mistake with our itinerary. Petra deserves two days, even for two people who walk and walk all day, and cover large sites very quickly. There is just so much to see here! We started at the crack of dawn. We decided to hire one of the guides, and the young [...]

Small enough to walk around the entire coast in a couple of days, Gozo is the small sibling of Malta, only half an hour away by ferry. Busy along the main street that bisects the island, away from this the island is like a nature reserve – left to their own devices, the plants grow [...]

“Why spend your time travelling when there is so much to explore under our very feet?” It is a good argument, and clearly not one I subscribe to. I do however live in a very nice place. If I were to visit St Albans as part of a trip, I would be impressed. And so [...]

If I ever go missing, here’s how you’ll most likely find me. Fly up to Tromso in northern Norway, several hundred miles above the Arctic Circle. Hire a car from the airport, and take a drive west for around 50km to the shores of Kattfjord. You’ll know you are somewhere special as you pass along [...]

The name itself conjures up an image of a cutesy tourist attraction, and Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage does not disappoint. A natural stop on the road to Kandy, the elephant orphanage organises regular feeding slots to coincide with the passing traffic. The highlight of the day however is bathing time, when all the elephants are led [...]